Nov 24, 2010
By Diana Britton
Record municipal bond outflows last week represent a short-term blip in the market, according to some industry sources. The underlying causes were uncertainty about tax rates and Build America Bond subsidies, as well as seasonal supply and demand conditions, they said, all of which should be resolved or normalize by early next year....
Nov 24, 2010
By Anne Field
Even as they position themselves to grow, most advisors remain highly cost-conscious. ...
Nov 23, 2010
By Diana Britton
Americans are still reeling from the blows their 401(k) account balances took during the economic crisis, but they may be happy (and surprised) to learn that account balances jumped 31.9 percent last year after taking a 27.8 percent dive in 2008. ...
Nov 22, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Getting rid of smaller accounts could mean more production for advisors, according to a new study from PriceMetrix, a Toronto-based solutions provider for retail wealth managers....
Nov 21, 2010
By Michael Stillman
A new DOL regulation will ratchet up the scrutiny of bundled 401(k) plan fees. You can help your plan sponsors by guiding them through the pros and cons of bundled vs. unbundled services. ...
Nov 18, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
CNBC star Jim Cramer may not have liked the valuation of the LPL Investment Holdings IPO, but investors sure did. The happiest people? LPL shareholders who sold off some of their stake in the company, the biggest independent broker/dealer in the country....
Nov 18, 2010
By Diana Britton
Financial advisors have been afraid of using social media for fear of invoking the wrath of their compliance department. They shouldn't be, since use of social media is correlated to higher assets under management...
Nov 18, 2010
By David A. Geracioti
Would you buy shares in a financial company that trades at about 40 times trailing earnings (based on Q3 numbers) and boasts (if that’s the right word) a net profit margin of not even 2 percent? ...
Nov 17, 2010
By Kevin McKinley
When and how should you take 529 money out? It can make a big difference in how much is left over for those students and their families, especially if the funds are used for purposes beyond higher education expenses. ...
Nov 16, 2010
By Diana Britton
With the absence of a V-shaped recovery, we can expect to experience the ramifications of the financial crisis for a long time, with a great likelihood that we’ll see paradigm shifts in the years ahead, said Erik Weisman, investment officer at MFS Investment Management....
Nov 16, 2010
By Stan Luxenberg
While bonds may not tank tomorrow, it does seem likely that stock funds will eventually recover at least some of their old gusto. To prepare for the day when the pendulum swings, consider a strategy developed by Morningstar. ...
Nov 16, 2010
By Alan Lavine
There’s a window of opportunity for financial advisors to build business: They can use annuities available in 401k plans to help workers with their post-retirement income. ...
Nov 15, 2010
By Diana Britton
At a time when recruitment activity in the independent broker/dealer channel has slowed, Capital Guardian Wealth Management, a hybrid firm, is undergoing a major growth initiative, with plans to add 15 advisors by year-end as well as several independent and branch offices around the country. It intends to triple in size in a few years. ...
Nov 12, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Four out of ten single-family offices expect to make “material changes” to the way they manage their business over the next 12 to 18 months, according to a new survey from the Institute for Private Investors....
Nov 12, 2010
By Eric Singer, manager of the Congressional Effect Fund
In normal times, gridlock is wonderful for real returns. But these aren't normal times. ...
Nov 11, 2010
By Kristen French
Attorneys, compensation experts and recruiters said broker recruiting bonuses would be difficult to regulate, and that if anything, the SEC would most likely require greater disclosure of the practice to clients. ...
Nov 11, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
Most wealthy families say they won't change their chartible giving behaviors based on tax increases, but some advisors say it's still a good idea to write your check this year rather than next....
Nov 10, 2010
By Diana Britton
We are in a multi-year bull market for equities, especially emerging market equities, said panelists at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s 2011 outlook event Wednesday....
Nov 10, 2010
By Diana Britton
Over half of advisors surveyed by Putnam Investments said they were at least somewhat likely to recommend absolute return funds to their clients, while assets in absolute return funds have grown 10 percent in the past month alone. ...
Nov 10, 2010
By Charles Paikert
The ultra-high-net-worth market is drawing greater interest from financial advisors, who flocked to the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) annual Advanced Wealth Management Conference in San Francisco this week. ...
Nov 9, 2010
By Charles Paikert
The stock market is now in a “historical sweet spot” following the mid-term elections, Charles Schwab’s chief investment strategist told financial advisors at the IMCA Advanced Wealth Management Conference in San Francisco yesterday....
Nov 9, 2010
By Kristen French
UBS hired three financial advisors with $2.1 billion in client assets away from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. They will work out of UBS' Los Angeles office. ...
Nov 9, 2010
By Jerry Gleeson
Bah, humbug. The latest study of charitable giving among America’s high-net-worth households shows a marked decline in generosity, according to a 2010 Bank of America Merrill Lynch report. ...
Nov 8, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Ultra-high net worth clients are “re-thinking their investment approach” and turning away from traditional asset allocation strategies and modern portfolio theory, according to Kristi Kuechler, president of the Institute for Private Investors, an organization of wealthy families and individuals who control over $50 billion in assets....
Nov 8, 2010
By Charles Paikert
Financial advisors should prepare for both an improved economy and higher taxes, according to the keynote speakers at the IMCA (Investment Management Consultants Association) Advanced Wealth Management Conference in San Francisco this morning....
